Telescoping Football Holder

ABSTRACT

A compact device for assisting place kicking a football is disclosed, including a module connecting telescoping legs and football tip telescoping holding arm, with the legs connecting the module for pivoting the legs from a ground engaging position to a transport position beneath and parallel to the arm.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION/INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

This application makes reference to, claims priority to, and claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/496,492 filed Oct. 20, 2016 entititled “Telescoping Football Holder”. The above stated application is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to football holding devices. More particularly, the present invention is directed to devices for assisting in training football kickers of American/Canadian style footballs. Still more particularly, the present invention relates to easily compactable and simple telescoping ground engaging legs connected by a module at their proximate ends by pivot posts mounted on an inverted v-shaped module which also rigidly mounts a telescoping arm for engaging the tip of the football which simulates a person holding the football,

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In preparation for playing the game of football, place kickers spend many hours in practicing for accuracy as to distance and ball placement, as for example practicing to either kick the ball into/through the end zone or to force a kick returner to field the ball before the ball enters the end zone. In practice it has been the practice to utilize a second person to hold the football for place kicking to simulate game conditions. Many devices have been invented to replace the second person by which the place kicker can practice without the place holder person.

These devices include, for example, the device shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,505,445 to Treadwell et al. This device includes two ground engaging legs mounted in a pivotal manner to extend outwardly from a center module which center module also mounts a third leg which is pivotal on the center module and extends horizontally to hold the tip of the football in kicking position. The three legs are mounted to be pivotal so as to be collapsible for ease of transport and storage. This device lacks any telescoping features of the legs.

Another football holding device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 8,342,987 to Shaw et al. This device has two ground engaging legs and a horizontally extending third leg all connected to a center module. The legs are formed of multiple tubes with each leg being disclosed as “hollow tubes that nest with its adjacent section by way of a telescopic, nesting interface arrangement.” An inverted v-shaped module has guide holes for receiving the proximate ends of the three legs. A bungee cord extending through the hollow tubes and the module is used to secure the three legs in place relative to the holes of the connecting module. The place kicker pulls the ends of the three legs away and out of the mounting holes against the retaining spring force of the bungee cord to thereby de-nest and fold the device in a compact disassembled form. No telescopic adjustment of the lengths of the legs along the axis of the lengths of the three legs is taught. This lack of a telescopic adjustment feature limits the device to the type and size of the football used for a particular level of competition as the Patent does state “the device could also be downsized, in the event it were to be used for juvenile-sized football.”

U.S. Pat. No. 5,553,855 to Balestrieri discloses a vertical telescopic support wherein the vertical hollow tubing 27 and 29 are slide relative to each other and the length locked and controlled by a knob turned to press against a flexible collar trapped between the inner wall of tube 27 and the outer wall of smaller tube 29 as best viewed in FIG. 3. Three legs 13 a, 13 b and 13 c are used to support the vertical hollow tubing and can be pivoted to align with the vertical axis of the vertical hollow tubing but are not telescopic. Further, an arm 49 used to support the tip of the football is not telescopic. This device is compactable as both arm 49 and the three support legs are pivotal relative to the vertical hollow tubing. U.S. Pat. No. 4,546,974 to Brown discloses vertically telescoping hollow square tubes with a locking detent extending through a vertical slot in an outer tube wall as part of a height adjustable place kick holder.

OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide a football place kicker holder which takes the place of a player holder during practice of the place kicker.

It is another object of the present invention to provide the place kicker holder the ability to be adjustable as to the angle at which the football is tilted so as to better accommodate the kicker's style such as a side kicking soccer style leg swing as contrasted with a straight on leg swing.

It is another object of the present invention to have the place kicker holder compact for storage and transportation.

It is another object of the present invention to have the place kicker holder easily adjustable to accommodate different sizes of footballs.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a inexpensive but durable to manufacture place kick holder.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a place kick holder which is easy to set up quickly and operate and adjust.

These and other objects of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a football place kicker holder in accordance with the present invention, supporting a football for kicking in a tripod form.

FIG. 2 is the place kicker holder of FIG. 1, shown in a plan view, nested or collapsed form for stowage.

FIG. 3 is a cross section taken along section X-X of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a side elevation view of the place kicker holder of FIG. 1, showing the football engaging arm with a variable telescoping length with the football vertically mounted on a kicking tee.

FIG. 5 is a side elevation view of the place kicker holder with the football engaging arm's surface having a pattern holding the football tip at an angle.

FIG. 6 is an exploded view showing details of the mounting of the telescopic legs and football holder arm of the place kicker holder of FIG. 1.

FIGS. 7 and 8 depict alternate add on elliptical and spherical friction tips to the place kick holder arm end of FIG. 1.

FIG. 9 is a front view of the place kick holder of FIG. 1.

FIG. 10 is a side view of an add-on elliptically contoured tip showing mounting engagement with an end cap for securing to the end of the football hold arm of the FIG. 1 embodiment.

FIG. 11 is a side view of a contour tip variation in spherical form of that shown in FIG. 10.

FIG. 12 is a front view of a different embodiment of module 14 mounting a hexagonal fastening nut for receiving an end portion of the football holder arm 3.

FIG. 13 is a front view of another embodiment of module 84 having a diamond shaped holder 41 for the football holder arm and showing leg positioning grooves cut in the underside of the module 84.

FIG. 14 is a rear view of the module 84 of FIG. 13 lying on one side.

FIG. 15 is a top view of the module 84 of FIG. 14 lying on one side showing in detail the positions of the leg positioning grooves of FIG. 14.

FIG. 16 is a top view along the arrow AA of one side of the module 84 depicted in FIG. 14 showing in phantom outline the positions of one of the two telescopic legs.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

As shown in FIG. 1, a football 5 is supported by a telescopic arm comprising an outer hollow tube 2 which telescopes over a smaller diameter hollow tube 3 and an optional third yet smaller diameter hollow tube 9 over which both tubes 2 and 3 telescope. In the preferred embodiments only tubes 2 and 3 are deployed. The outer surface of tube 2 may be knurled or covered with a soft memory recoverable deformable material which permits the tip of the football to slightly depress the soft material so as to better engage the tube 2 to simulate the touch of a human holder. The soft material is memory recoverable and spring-like and returns to its normal state after being removed from contact with the football tip. Also, the surface of the soft material facilitates the grip the kicker has for ease of adjusting the sliding action of the telescoping tube 2, especially useful on a rainy/snowy outdoor practice day.

In this description, the terms “tube” and “tubular” are used in their broadest generic sense to encompass the preferred cross sectional round tubes shown in FIG. 3 and non-round forms, such as by way of non-limiting example, triangular or square telescoping tubes (not shown).

Also disclosed in FIG. 1 are two telescopic ground engaging hollow leg pairs 10,12 and 11,13 preferably tubular in form. The outer surface of the legs 10 and 11 maybe covered with enclosed end caps 80 to prevent entry of foreign objects and to ensure a better grip by the place kicker in adjusting the telescopic sliding action of tubes 10 and 11. An inverted v-shaped module 14 connects the innermost proximal ends of tubes 3, 12 and 13 as shown in FIG. 6.

While FIG. 1 depicts the football place kicker holder in operative deployment, FIG. 2 shows the compact nested form in a stowage position. The kicker has telescopically collapsed the football holder tube 2 partially over the smaller diameter tube 3. Also, the two leg pairs 10, 12 and 11, 13 are telescopically partially collapsed. Additionally, the kicker has pivoted the tubular leg pairs 10, 12 and 11, 13 about pivot rivets or shafts 19 and 20 (shown in FIGS. 6 and 9) attached to the underside of the inverted v-shaped module 14.

A smooth adjustment of the desired lengths of the telescopic arm and the telescopic legs is achieved by providing tight clearance tolerances between the inner surface of the outer diameter tube and the outer surface of the smaller diameter tube. The tight tolerances permit use of air drag as a resistance to hold the position of the tubes. The tubes are easily moved to different relative positions against the pressure of air drag between the surfaces. A more secure twist-lock in the desired position can be achieved by twisting the tubes as is commonly done, for example with telescoping boat hooks. A metal of light weight, such as anodized aluminum or steel, is the preferred material for the tubes but plastics such as polypropylene, fiberglass or nylon may also be used.

Both tubes 12 and 13 swing underneath the horizontally extending hollow tube 3 as shown in FIG. 2. The end caps 80 shown in FIG. 1 may optionally be replaced by modified end caps 81 having elliptical tips 27. Spherical tips 28 can also be used. Tips 27 and 28 are discussed in detail in connection with FIGS. 7 and 8. Also tip 27 or 28 maybe mounted at the end of telescopic holder arm 2. This arrangement allows the kicker the option to switch between spare tips 27 and 28 on legs 10 and 11 and the tip mounted at the end of telescopic holder arm 2.

FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view taken along the X-X plane as shown in FIG. 2 showing the stowage positioning for the tubes 12 and 13 before they are telescopically collapsed. Tube 3 is fixed against movement by two fastening rivets or screws 18 only one of which is shown in FIG. 6 attached to the peak of the underside of the module 14. The inner end of tube 12 has a pivot hole 24 for securing the tube 12 to pivot about a fixed rivet or shaft 20 mounted on the underside of the module 14. Likewise, the inner end of tube 13 has a pivot hole 23 for securing the tube 13 to pivot about rivet or shaft 19 fixed to the underside of the module 14. Shafts 19 and 20 have heads 21, 22 to retain the arms 12,13.

Referring to FIGS. 6 and 9, the inner ends of tubes 12 and 13 have angled planar surfaces 25 and 26 which abut each other when the tubes 12 and 13 are in the football holding tripod position shown in FIG. 1. The inner end of tube 3 is located under module 14 in front of the inner ends of tubes 12 and 13 and abuts the inner ends of tubes 12 and 13 thereby limiting rotation of the leg pairs 10, 12 and 11, 13 to the position shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is an example of using a kicking tee 8 with the present invention. Opening 7 permits the telescoping of outer diameter tube 3 relative to the inner tube 2 as shown by the double arrow in FIG. 4.

FIG. 5 illustrates the maximum telescoping extension (double arrow A) of the tube 2 with a different pattern for the exterior surface pattern of tube 2 than that shown in FIG. 1 which showed a wavy pattern. Other forms of patterns (not shown) are also within the purview of the present invention. In this way the place hold kicker has a choice between patterns depending on a variety of factors such as wind and rain/snow conditions at the practice field.

The patterns in tubular form may be slipped on/off over an existing pattern to economize on the number of telescoping football holders needed for practice.

Some place holder kickers prefer the football's longest axis to be held at a more extreme angle from the vertical due to the player's leg kicking style. An add-on, such as an elliptical end 27 shown in FIG. 7 or a semi-spherical end 28 shown in FIG. 8, may be fastened or adhered to the end of the tube 2 to provide for such extreme angle football tip placement. The surfaces of ends 27 and 28 may also have other patterns, such as a knurled pattern or a deformable material pattern which may or may not be similar to the surface pattern of tube 2 shown in the previously discussed FIG. 1 invention. U.S. Pat. No. 5,454,209 to Sang teaches gum as a known deformable material used to hold a football tip.

A variation of the add-on shape is shown in FIG. 10 wherein the elliptical tip 30 is part of a removable flexible rubber plug 29 inserted in an end cap 35 shown in section with an open end 36. The prong shaped end 31 of the plug 29 is retained behind the end cap open end 36 as shown by phantom prong shaped end 31. The end cap 35 may be fastened or placed over the end of tube 2 in a secure manner.

In like fashion, the add-on of FIG. 11 has a semi-spherical tip 33 as part of a removable flexible rubber plug 32 having a prong shaped end 34 to engage the end cap shown in FIG. 10. The teaching of a prong shaped end is only meant as an example and other forms of flexible retaining ends are also within the purview of the present invention.

The compact holder in the deployed form depicted in FIG. 1 resembles a tripod and in a collapsed compact telescopic stowage form the legs and football holding arm are in the same horizontal direction shown in FIG. 2. The present invention solves many of the prior art place kick holder drawbacks by providing a compactable, durable, simple to deploy, inexpensive, and add-on modifiable configuration thereby allowing the place kicker to customize the compactable holder to the kicker's preference as to kicking style.

Although not shown, it is to be understood that internal conventional devices are used to limit the maximum extent of the telescoping action of the tubes described above so as to prevent tube separation. Also employed to prevent separation are several annular grooves (not shown) in the tube 2 outer surface near the inner end of the tube 2.

Close tolerance to avoid unwanted slippage is essentially between the inner cylindrical surface of tube 2 and the outer cylindrical surface of the smaller diameter tube 3 to maintain an air sleeve between the cylindrical surfaces allowing precise telescoping positioning relative tubes 2 and 3.

In a variation shown in FIG. 12, an elongated hexagonal holding nut 3 is secured to the underside of the inverted v-shaped module 14 as a means of securing the proximal end of the football tip holder arm 3.

In a preferred variation shown in FIGS. 13 - 16, a diamond shaped holder 41 is made integral as a portion of a modified inverted v-shaped module 84. FIG. 13 is a frontal view wherein ground engaging legs 12, 13 are shown in cross section as is the football tip holder arm 3 shown secured in a bore hole 83 (FIGS. 14 and 15) in the diamond shaped holder 41. FIG. 14 is a rear view illustrating the inverted v-shaped module 84 lying on one side of the module. FIG. 15 is a top view of FIG. 14. The bore hole 83 extends along the length of the diamond shaped holder 41 but does not extend all the way along the length of the sides constituting the inverted v-shaped module 84.

To secure the legs 12, 13 in the stowage position parallel to the football tip holder arm 3 shallow grooves 85, 86 are located on the inner sides of the module 84. Similar shorter shallow grooves 87, 88 are made in the inner sides of the module 84 which secure the legs 12, 13 when pivoted around the rivets or shafts 19, 20 to the ground engaging position. Compression springs 90, 91 (best shown in FIG. 14) are placed between the underside of the heads 21, 22 and the bore hole extending through the legs 12, 13 to firmly pressure the legs 12, 13 in the selected groove.

FIG. 16 shown viewed from the direction of arrow AA of FIG. 14 depicts one side of the module 84 with leg 12 in the stowage position parallel to the football tip holder arm 3 and in the phantom line position when in the ground engaging position.

In the embodiment depicted by FIGS. 13-16, the shaft heads 19, 20 are positioned at the intersection of the longer grooves with the shorter angled grooves as shown by FIG. 15. To disengage the legs 12, 13 from the shallow positioning grooves the user slightly rocks the leg end farthest away from the pivot shaft and then pivots the leg to the desired position in the other groove of the pair.

While this invention has been described as having preferred design, it is understood that it is capable of further modification, use and/or adaptations following in general the principle of the invention and including such departures from the present disclosure as come within known or customary practice in the art to which the present invention pertains, and as may be applied to the essential features set forth, and fall within the scope of the invention or limits of the appended claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A compactable holder for a football to permit kicking of the football with the football having one end touching the ground comprising: a football tip holder arm which is telescopically extendable and fixedly attached at a proximal end to an inverted v-shaped module; the inverted v-shaped module having first and second pivot shafts; a pair of legs which are telescopically extendable to the ground to adjust the height of the inverted v-shaped module; one leg of the pair of legs being connected to the first pivot shaft and the other leg of the pair of legs being connected to the second pivot shaft to permit pivoting of the legs to a ground engaging position and to a position beneath the inverted v-shaped module and the football tip holder arm whereby the compactable holder is configured in a compactable stowage form.
 2. The compactable holder of claim 1 wherein each leg of the pair of legs comprises at least two different diameter tubes telescopic relative to each other having close tolerance there between to permit adjustable telescopic length.
 3. The compactable holder of claim 1 wherein the football tip holder arm comprises at least two different diameter tubes telescopic relative to each other having close tolerance there between to permit an adjustable telescopic length.
 4. The compactable holder of claim 3 wherein the smaller diameter tube of the two different diameter tubes is fixedly attached at a proximal end to the inverted v-shaped module and the larger diameter tube of the two different diameter tubes has a football tip engaging surface pattern at a terminal end farthest away from the proximal end of the smaller diameter tube to thereby resist slippage of the tip of the football.
 5. The compactable holder of claim 4 wherein the football tip engaging surface pattern is a knurled pattern.
 6. The compactable holder of claim 1 wherein the football tip holder arm has a memory recovering soft material covering a terminal end farthest away from the proximal end of the football tip holder arm to thereby resist slippage of the tip of the football.
 7. The compactable holder of claim 1 wherein the football tip holder arm has an attachment to a terminal end farthest away from the proximal end which attachment has a semi-elliptic or semi-spherical surface for holding the tip of the football in multiple angled positions as well as a straight vertical position.
 8. A compactable holder for a football to permit kicking of the football with the football having one end touching the ground comprising: a football tip holder arm which is telescopically extendable and attached at a proximal end to a module mounting first and second pivot shafts; a pair of legs which are telescopically extendable to the ground to adjust the height of the module; one leg of the pair of legs being connected to the first pivot shaft and the other leg of the pair of legs being connected to the second pivot shaft to permit pivoting of the legs to a ground engaging position and to a position beneath both the module and the football tip holder arm whereby the compactable holder is configured in a compactable stowage form.
 9. The compactable holder of claim 8 wherein the football tip holder arm comprises at least two different diameter tubes telescopic relative to each other having close tolerance there between to permit a readily adjustable telescopic length.
 10. The compactable holder of claim 9 wherein the smaller diameter tube of the two different diameter tubes is fixedly attached at an end proximal to the module and the larger diameter tube of the two different diameter tubes has a football tip engaging surface pattern at a terminal end farthest away from the proximal end of the smaller diameter tube.
 11. The compactable holder of claim 8 wherein each leg of the pair of legs comprises at least two different diameter tubes telescopic relative to each other having close tolerance there between to permit a readily adjustable telescopic length.
 12. The compactable holder of claim 8 wherein the football tip holder arm has a knurled pattern at a terminal end farthest away from the proximal end for contacting the tip of the football to resist slippage.
 13. The compactable holder of claim 8 wherein the football tip holder arm has a memory recovering soft material covering a terminal end farthest away from the proximal end of the football tip holder arm to thereby resist slippage of the tip of the football.
 14. The compactable holder of claim 8 wherein the football tip holder arm has an attachment to a terminal end farthest away from the proximal end which attachment has a semi-elliptic or semi-spherical surface for holding the tip of the football in multiple angled positions as well as a straight vertical position.
 15. A compactable holder for a football to permit kicking of the football with the football having one end touching the ground comprising: a football tip holder arm which is telescopically extendable and attached at a proximal end to an inverted v-shaped module mounting first and second pivot shafts having heads thereon larger in diameter than the diameter of each shaft; a pair of legs which are telescopically extendable to the ground to adjust the height of the inverted v-shaped module; one leg of the pair of legs having a bore hole through which the first pivot shaft extends and the other leg of the pair of legs having a bore hole through which the second pivot shaft extends to permit pivoting of the legs to a ground engaging position and to a compactable position beneath both the inverted v-shaped module and the football tip holder arm; and wherein each of the pair of legs are biased by a compression spring mounted between the shaft heads and the bore holes to control the pivoting positions of the legs.
 16. The compactable holder of claim 15 further comprising two sets of shallow positioning grooves on the inside of the surfaces forming the v of the inverted v-shaped module to aid in guiding and retaining the positioning of the legs in the ground engaging position and in the compactable position.
 17. The compactable holder of claim 16 wherein the shallow positioning grooves of each set intersect.
 18. The compactable holder of claim 17 wherein the axis of each pivot shaft is located at the center of where each set of shallow positioning grooves intersect.
 19. The compactable holder of claim 16 wherein each set of shallow positioning grooves are mirror images of the other set.
 20. The compactable holder of claim 16 wherein each set of shallow positioning grooves are mirror images with a first groove of each set formed parallel to a longitudinal axis of the football tip holder arm and another groove of each set intersects the first groove at an angle. 